Sale of goods legal advice

[plantman]

Just thought id post this here just in case any of you guys have come across this before.

Im quite up on my "sale of goods" act and im not interested in feeble excuses from retailers so i thought id bullet point some rights that you have when buying anything, especially electrical and kitchen appliances.

1. 12 month warranties do not mean you cannot get an item fixed if it breaks down after 12months and 1 day! the sale of goods act states that an item must be fit for purpose, so a washing machine should have a life cycle of say 3 years, if it breaks down before then you still have a right to claim it wasnt fit for purpose, although you may have to prove it or even put in a claim in court.

2. warranties are not legal, the sale of goods act is! companies use a warranty to distance themselves from faults and it is not correct, the warranty creates a legal obligation to fix it for minimun 12months.

3. do not be fooled by the "you need to contact the manufacturer" its a load of bollocks, you bought it from the trader not the manufacturer so the responsibility to fix it lies with them legally.

4. fixing a faulty item should cost you nothing! dont be fooled into paying for returns, or paying a restocking fee if you return the item.


i have just won a case with a retailer after they refused to fix my tv, i mearly contated consumer direct and got a written quote on the sale of goods act and threatened then with court.

Andy

 

[weasel]

Useful info mate!

 

[ODB]

The sale of goods act means that many of those 3 or 5 year warranties that are sold and banded round aren't worth the hundreds of pounds they charge. They are a complete money spinner.

 

[burnsy]

Great info Andy.

And congrats on your win.

 

[plantman]

The sale of goods act means that many of those 3 or 5 year warranties that are sold and banded round aren't worth the hundreds of pounds they charge. They are a complete money spinner.

Exactly, companies are now appearing to give "good deals" with 3 year warranties on TV's, this is mainly because they know that the sale of goods act has no specified time restrictions. if you buy a cheap £10 toaster and it breaks after 14 months its unlikely that you would be able to claim.

but a 50" plasma tv that cost 4k is expected to last longer than 12months so you could take them to court and you would win if you could prove it was a fault and not mishandled etc.

i can bet £100 no sales person knows this because its hidden away from retailers under "your statutory rights"
retailers could basically sell an item with no warranty, the 12 months thing is to make you think you cant claim after 12 months but you can.

you have to weigh up the pro's and cons, but a nice letter stating your rights and the sale of goods act can pay dividends.

dont pay for extra warranties unless you prefer hassel free, most extended warranties are worth it to save hassel but im a tight git and would rather cause a fuss because they know they get away with murder.

Andy